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Canada joins EU defence fund SAFE
Canada has reached an agreement with the EU to join its €150 billion Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program, making it the first third-party country to do so. “This is the next step in our deepening cooperation and symbolic of the shared priorities of the European Union and Canada,” a joint statement between the EU and Canada said. This follows months of complex negotiations and was communicated directly to ministers taking part in Monday's Foreign Affairs Council; Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius informed delegations that negotiations with Ottawa had concluded. SAFE is a €150 billion readiness fund that is part of a major drive to get the EU ready to defend itself by 2030 amid fears of a Russian attack and doubts about U.S. protection. Under SAFE, third countries can account for a maximum of 35% of the value of a weapons system paid for the scheme. Canada will be able to have a larger share but will have to pay a fee. Similar talks were held with the U.K., but fell apart on Friday. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Canada to SAFE in a post to X. “When like-minded partners join forces on security and defence in a turbulent world, our countries grow stronger, our industries benefit a
Europe
PM’s resignation plunges France into crisis
The French Government has resigned, but Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has accepted a request from President Emmanuel Macron to find a solution to the political crisis. They resigned on Monday, only hours after Lecornu announced his cabinet line-up, making it the briefest administration in modern French history, but Macron urged Lecornu to hold discussions with other political parties within 48 hours to find a way forward. "The president has entrusted Mr Sebastien Lecornu, the outgoing Prime Minister in charge of day-to-day affairs, with the responsibility of conducting final negotiations by Wednesday evening to define a platform for action and stability for the country," the Elysee Palace said in a statement. Lecornu, France’s fifth prime minister in less than two years, tendered his resignation just 27 days after being appointed in the wake of threats to topple his new government. Lecornu said each political party was behaving like they had a parliamentary majority, and the “conditions were not fulfilled” to stay in office. “I was ready to compromise, but each political party wanted the other political party to adopt its entire program,” France 24 reported him as saying after his shock decision to step down.
Europe
EU backs 'drone wall' to counter Russian incursions
European Union leaders have endorsed plans to establish a continent-wide defence network against Russian drones after recent airspace violations rattled Denmark and exposed Europe’s vulnerabilities. Meeting in Copenhagen on Wednesday, leaders signalled their support for a “drone wall” across the bloc, an initiative championed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and welcomed by NATO. "Europe must be able to defend itself", Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said. "We need to strengthen our production of drones, of anti-drone capabilities, and this includes building up a European network of anti-drone measures that can protect and, of course, also neutralise intrusion from outside." European officials have accused Moscow of brazenly testing the continent’s air defences, pointing to recent drone incursions over Poland and fighter jet flights over Estonia. Denmark has not formally attributed last week’s drone activity that disrupted several airports, but Frederiksen has hinted Russia was behind the episodes. Von der Leyen first floated the idea of a “drone wall” last month, just hours after around 20 Russian drones breached Polish airspace. NATO forces responded by deploying fighter jets, he
Europe
German jets scrambled tracking Russian aircraft
The German air force scrambled two Eurofighter jets to track a Russian reconnaissance aircraft after it entered neutral airspace over the Baltic Sea. According to the German air force, the Russian aircraft switched off its transponders and ignored requests to make contact. The air force also said that its “quick reaction alert force” was ordered on Sunday by NATO to investigate aircraft flying without a plan or radio contact. “It was a Russian IL-20M reconnaissance aircraft. After visual identification, we handed over escort duties for the aircraft to our Swedish NATO partners and returned to Rostock-Laage,” it added. This came after Estonia said it would call an emergency meeting of the UN council after Russian planes violated its airspace. Tensions between NATO and Russia have heightened in recent weeks following a series of airspace violations on NATO’s eastern flank. This includes incursions into Poland, where several drones were shot down and Romania.
Europe
EU considers imposing sanctions and tariffs on Israel
The European Union (EU) has proposed new sanctions and tariffs to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza. EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, urged the 27 members to increase tariffs on some Israeli goods and impose sanctions on Israeli settlers, members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, as well as 10 Hamas leaders. “We are proposing these measures not to punish Israel or Israel people, but to really try to pressure (the) Israeli government to change course and to end the human suffering in Gaza,” Kallas said at a press conference in Brussels. “The war needs to end, the suffering must stop, and all hostages must be released.” The sanctions would freeze any of the individuals' European passports and ban travel in the EU. Tariffs amounting to 230 million euros (A$407 million) will be imposed on 37% of the 15.9 billion euros of Israeli goods imported into the EU if enough nations agree, according to European Commissioner for Trade, Maroš Šefčovič. The commission proposed to revoke the zero-tariff preference for a select number of Israeli goods and instead fall back on the World Trade Organisation tariffs, which vary from 8% to 40% on individual goods. "We're not proposing to suspend trade

Europe
UK confirms fighter jets will be deployed to help Poland
United Kingdom Defence Secretary John Healy has confirmed that RAF Typhoon jets will be deployed within days to shoot down Russian drones, following incursions into Poland and Romania over the past week. The fighter jets will fly air defence missions over Poland as part of the military alliance’s mission to bolster the eastern flank. The Typhoons will operate out of RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and are expected to start their mission in the coming days, joining Danish F-16s, French Rafales and German Eurofighters. "The message to Moscow is clear. Putin tested NATO, NATO responded with unity, and the UK will play our full part. When we are threatened, we respond together,” Defence Secretary John Healy said. Healy also described Russia’s actions as “reckless, dangerous and unprecedented”. While drones and missiles have occasionally veered into countries bordering Ukraine during Russia’s invasion, the incursion into Poland last week was the most serious incident of its kind. It also marked the first time a NATO member had directly engaged with Russian drones since the war started in February 2022, as all the drones were shot down. In a separate incident, a Russian drone was said to breach Romanian airspace. R
Europe
A second Russian drone breached airspace of NATO country
Romania said a Russian drone has breached its airspace, making it the second NATO country to report such an incursion. According to a press release from Romania’s Ministry of National Defence, an “unmanned aerial vehicle UAV” was spotted in national airspace. “The UAV did not overfly populated areas and did not pose an imminent threat to the civilian population,” the military press release said. The drone was detected as Romanian fighter jets were monitoring a Russian attack in Ukraine on the border. It was detected 20km south-west of the village of Chilia Veche before disappearing from the radar. In a post to X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the drone entering Romanian airspace was “an obvious expansion of the war”. “The Russian military knows exactly where their drones are headed and how long they can operate in the air,” he said. Zelenskyy also called for countries to impose extra sanctions on Russia to pressure them into ending the war. “Tariffs against Russian trade are needed. Collective defence is needed – and Ukraine has proposed to its partners the creation of just such a system of protection,” he said. This comes after Poland said it had shot down at least three Russian drones that
Europe
NATO defences strengthened after Russian drones downed
NATO has bolstered its defence forces after Russian drones were shot down over Polish airspace. The aircraft were downed earlier this week, in an operation involving Dutch, German, Italian and Polish aircraft, after they violated Polish airspace returning from an attack on Ukraine. The Netherlands and the Czech Republic have now confirmed they will send defences to Poland, Germany has plans to "intensify its engagement along NATO's eastern border" and extend and expand air policing over Poland, and France is sending additional fighter jets. "We will not yield to Russia's growing intimidation," said French President Emmanuel Macron. Poland rejected claims from the Kremlin that the violations were accidental and has also requested a UN Security Council session about the incident, which will take place on Friday. Speaking to the ABC, Australian NATO expert Professor Stephan Fruehling, said he believes the events of this week make a direct conflict between NATO and Russia more likely. “I think it's a very significant step up of the tensions with Russia…this time, there seems to be essentially no doubt in NATO that this was a deliberate kind of provocation,” Fruehling said. “The number of drones, the timing, and re
Europe
Poland shoots down suspected Russian drones
Poland has shot down Russian drones in response to airspace violations. Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, confirmed that Polish Operational Command had shot down the suspected Russian drones on Wednesday, after they violated Polish airspace returning from an attack on Ukraine. Speaking to Polish parliament, he described the intervention as “the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II”. Tusk also activated Article Four of NATO's treaty, which allows alliance members to demand consultations with allies. Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy confirmed that after the drones were shot down, he had a call with Tusk, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, and Giorgia Meloni, the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy. “Of course, first and foremost, we discussed the Russian drones launched against Ukraine last night that also entered Polish airspace,” he wrote on X. “This time the number of Russian drones was much larger, the brazenness much greater…this is a completely different level of escalation from Russia. There must be an appropriate response.”